Implement-handle



C. H. RIETH.

|MPLEMENT HOLDER.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 8,19I9.

1,349,223. Patented Aug. 10,1920.

In verz for Z7 274 fj PATENT OFFICE.

GIEIAILLESH. RIETH, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

IMPLEMEN'r-HANDLE.

To all whom t may Concern:

' piece structure.

which, by serves the supply Ydle from relatively Be it `known that I, CHARLES H. RIETH, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, Missouri, have invented acertain new and useful Improvement-in Implement- Handles, of which ythe following isa` full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the-'art towhich it appertains to make and use the saine, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

, My inventionV relates to new and useful improvements'in. handles .for implements such as shovels, spades,'axes, and the` like,

the principal object Vof my invention beingV to provide a relatively simple,

inexpensive, strong, andfdurable Ycomposite handle, that is, a handle composed of a plurality of pieces of material assembled and secured to each other-so as to provide lpractically a one- Heretofore, handles of implements such as shovels, spades, axes, and the like have been formed from a single piece of material and Vto meet the trade requirements this inateiial must be 5 straight .grained and free from defects. .At present there is an increasing scarcity of wood suitable for the manufacture of implement handles of the type to which'my is-one of thepurposes of-my invention to meet these conditions and provide xa handle virtue of its constructionyconof suitable wood, such result being attained by constructing a hansmall strips and pieces of material, which, to ia' large' extent, is now consideredwaste material; y

VMy V.invention 'further contemplates simplifying the process. and cheapening the cost of manufacture of implement handles, particular-ly those 4that -are provided with an opening and a transversely disposed hand grasp at the rear or upper end. Y

y invention is` effective in eliminating the wastel of a large amount of material which, under the present `methods of manufacturing handles, is cut away during the manufacture ofl handles having widened end portions, and, in addition,"th'e handles constructed in accordance with my'invention are'much more uniform in quality than the ordinary one-piece handles and there is very little, if any, loss of product duringnthe manufacture. 1 l I With the/foregoing and other objects in Specication of Letters Patent.

invention relates, and 'it Y Patented Aug. 10, 1920.

' Application filed December 8, 1919. Serial No. 343,209.

Y and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which` Y Figure l is an elevational view of'anA imp lement handle of my improved construction, said handle being` of the type generally u sed on shovels, spades, and certain varieties of forks. v A

Fig. 2 is a cross secton taken approximately von the line 22 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a cross section taken approximately on the line 3f?) of Fig. l.

Fig. 4 is a cross section taken approximately pn the line 4-l of Fig. l.

Fig'. o is an elevational view of a handle constructed in accordance with my invention and which is adapted to be applied to an ax head.

Fig. 6 is an kenlarged section taken approximately on the line G6 of-F ig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the end portion of a handle constructed in accordance with my invention land showing a modified form of the hand hold Yor grip.

ug. S is a perspective view of a baseball bat constructedinl accordance with my invention. i

It will be understood that the handles of shovels, spades. and certain types of forks are usually formed of a relativelystraight shank or body portion, the lower or forward `end thereof being adapted for insertion into a socket on thefbody of the spade ,or shovel and the opposite end Vof .said handleV being widened and provided with a transversely disposed hand grasp iminediately in front of which is an opening for theaccommodation of the fingers and thumb l on the hand of the user of the implement.

lleretofore handles of this type have been constructed from a singlev piece of material and the formation of the widened rear or upper end of the lopening therein involves considerable time, labor and consequent expense. Further, the strips cutaway from the sides of the straight shaft or body porsaid partsjbeing ysecured to dle a pair oi1` straight grained Wooden strips lO which are preferably halt-round in cross section straight face with aV longitudinally disposed ribll and onf 'its' inner l"straight "face `With a longitudinally disposed grooveil.

the opposite strip being throughout the greater portion of Vtheir length fare litted together VWith their 'straight inner Vfaces in Contact with each othergwv-ith -groove l2, and

the rib 11 voccupying v the each otherby-'a suitableV adhesive suchas Water-proof glue7 the sarnve'rbeingapplied t'o thef flat inner faces Y and the'suriaces ,or the* rib and groove before thefpartsareassenibled.`

:The rear .or 'upper' ends y'of' the strips i or members 10A are separatedianid bent v"out W-ardlyavvay fromfac -other to form diverging portions 13 and disposed `between these 'diverging 4portions isla Qsubstantially i Vtriangular spreader block 11i that is'provifded Y onfone' of? its straight vside faces. with a groove 15 that is adapted `to receive a portion of the rib'll and tflie opposite sidefface Y being proviaea'wah a nb ie which-:ocatpies` a 5corresponding-` portion of lthe 3 'groove 12. .This spreader block is secured tothe diverlging Aportions '13 f fo'T-tliej4 strips 10" by means Xofa suitabley a'dhesivefsuoh Yas Waterproofigli'ie, the same'being applied to the contacting facesjof the partsfbeiore theyV are assembledfand if-'desired, transversely disposed pins or 'elongated rivets suchv as 17 may be used asadditionalsecuring means,

such fvpins or rivets= extending 'through the Vspreader block and the diverging portions of thestr'ip's'10'.-

'The"'en`ds of theffdiverging' portions -13 'O thefstrips' extendfa vshort dlistan'ce beyond the y base "of "the :triangular "spreader "block 14 and interposed gbet'iveen. said en-'ds is a f solid cylindrical member 185,@ VJr'eferably v'formed ofstrai-ght 'grained wood. iy This member is l vuser of. the 'implement andi the s 'opening 19 between" said member rand" the "base i of the spreader bloc'lgllaccommodates the fingers the ends i of r the 'strips l'i'e sive, 'preferably ai further me ans 'of' 'securing "tigethera pinor-rivetsuch' as 22 passes vvaxiai y 4and thulnb 'of' theus'ers'hand. -One endof provided Vvvith' af vgroove rib 211 that'foccupiesthe end portionl of the "groove 12. AYT his handgraspfisisecuredato lOfby.V a suitable ad- V`vvater-proof i glue,Vt and as the parts firmly through 's'ai'd hand: "grasp and? through 'the endjportions 'of' the stripsl v10.Y (See e 1 bviously thev strips l0-are :capable 'ofxbe-V ing' easily and cheaply produced .and they AWaste. The spreader through theirlength, vone of' 'said strips being provided on its'inner, cheaply produced necessary for provided the grain of thewood runs lengthwise thef handV vrfromVV slipping off the canv be Vmanuiactii'red `With practically no K u A Yblocks la are comparatively simplev and are capable of being them to be constructed from straight grained or high grade material.

"The hand grasp members 18 arecapable "0i being easily/and cheaply vproduced fromA strips of wood of any suitable `length and after being properly-shaped Vthey. can be eutto proper length and their' ends provided with thetongues andgrooves so that vthey W-illcombne readily `With `the Iend portions orf'thefstripsff10-- Y a Y c. The hand'grasp portion of theimplment handlethatiis constructed ina single piece v can-be very easilyrbroken'inasmuch-fas the grain offthe .Wood fing'y said :hand grasp portion-fis disposed I:substantially at-y right angles Y to theV LaXis of' said hand' agrasp, ibut in a handle of: my. improvedconstruction the possibilityvof-"breakage ofithehand grasp portion is yminimized by lvirtueroof the fact that yofthe member or substantially at; right yangles to thegrain of the'woodinthefstrips l0'.

"InFig.' 5l have shown al handle construct# ed :in `:accordance .With which f isfparticularly; `.a'clapted to befu'sed lon an axhead, said handle being composed oi a pair of-'stripsQS of straight grained Wood,V the inain body portions of 4which' are ,glued together land l.there -being 'fa 'longitudinally disposedtonguey and groove vjoint between said strips. V.'lhejforvvard orloiver ends of .the strips lo ;thishandlexare spaced apart and positioned therein andv glued together is an elongated substantially Wedge shaped i iillerfblockQi, the edges ot'Which-arei glued andl connectedto the inner faces of the vad- 'j acent- :portionsfof rmy 1 invention and a the stripsgQS 'and inter- -inasmuch as it is not;V

locked/therewith by Ineansorn the tongue and,groove-:connections T he 'rear or upper end'of this'-ormof handle maybe provided vvithf a metal E socketA -suoh as 25 toV prevent end ot the lill handle', or, if desired, the -rear ends of the l strips 23 f' lmay -be spread yapartl iorga-k short distanceandfa- Wedgesuch as 26 inserted be- -tiveen sf'iid-separatedv ends, said Wedge being substantially Wider than the strips 23 so as to forma lrnob'on'` the rearend of the handle.

In Fig.. 8 I have-illustrateda baseball bat lconstructed ing pair oelongatedtapered members 27 which :are substantially half-,round in cross "section,fand an elongated ',Wedge'shaped -stripfof'WoodQZrthe latter being vinterposedbetween therinembersjQ'- and the contacting faces f of t the-'parts being provided gether.ri :y Y,

n Handles or my improved `vconstruction are 1 capable 'of being; :easily andV cheaply n in accordance Vwith liny; invenn tion-,' this particular fconstruction'comprismanufactured, are strong, substantial, and

durable, have the necessary resiliency, and by virtue of their construction can be produced from considerably less material than is required in the manufacture of the similar types of handles now in general use.

It will be readily understood that minor changes in the size, form and construction of the various parts of 'my improved handle can be made and substituted. for those herein shown and described, without departing from the spirit of my invention, the scope of which is set forth in the appended claims.

I claim: Y

l. As a new article ofV manufacture, an implement handle comprising` a pair Y of straight grained wooden strips connected to each other by'a glue joint, said strips being spread apart at one end to form diverging end portions, and a wedge block inserted between said diverging end portions.

2. As a new article of manufacture, an implement `handle comprising a pair of straight grained wooden strips connected to each other by a glue joint, said strips being spread apart at one end to form diverging end portions, a wedge block `inserted be tween said diverging end portions, and a hand-grasp member arranged between and secured to the ends of the diverging portions of said strips and spaced apart from thevspacing block.

3. As a new article of manufacture, an implement handle comprising` a pair of straight grained Wooden strips connected to each other by a glue oint and a tongue and groove connection, said strips being spread apart at one end to form diverging end portions, and a wedge block inserted between said diverging end portions.

4. As a new article of manufacture, an implement handle comprising a pair of f straight grained wooden strips connected to each other by a glue oint, said strips being spread apart at one end to form diverging end portions, a wedge block inserted between said diver-ging end portions, and tongue and groove Vconnections between the edges of said wedge block and said diverg ing end portions.

5. As a new article of manufacture, an implement handle comprising a pair of straight grained wooden strips, the main body portions of which are directly connected to each other, the rear end portions of said strips being spread apart, and a hand-grasp member arranged between the ends of said diverging portions, and there being tongue and groove joints between the ends of said member and the diverging end portions of said strips.

6. As a new article of manufacture, an implement handle comprising a pair of straight grained wooden strips secured to each other by an adhesive, and there being a tongue and groove connection between the engaging facesof said strips, said strips being spread apart at one end to forni diverging end portions, a wedge bloclr inserted between said diverging end portions and secured to said strips by an adhesive, and there being Vtongue and groove joints between the engaging faces of said wedge block and diverging portions.

7. As a new article of manufacture, an implement handle comprising a pair of straight grained wooden strips secured to each otherV throughout the greater portion, of their length, said strips being spread apart at one end to form diverging end portions, a wedge block positioned between and secured to said diverging end portions, and a hand-grasp member arranged between and secured to the end of said diverging portions and spaced apart from said block.

8. As a new article of manufacture, an implement handle comprising a pair of straight grained wooden strips connected to each other throughout the greater portion of their length, said strips being spread apart at one end to form diverging portions, a spreader block, and a hand-grasp member positioned between said diverging end portions, and there being tongue and groove connections between said strips, between the edges of the spreader blocks and said strips, and between the ends of the hand-grasp member and said strips.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature this 5th day of December, 1919.

CHARLES H. RIETH. 

